terrain

noun

ter·​rain tə-ˈrān How to pronounce terrain (audio)
 also  te-
1
a(1)
: a geographic area
(2)
: a piece of land : ground
b
: the physical features of a tract of land
2
3
a
: a field of knowledge or interest

Examples of terrain in a Sentence

We had to drive over some rough terrain. We hiked through a variety of terrains.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The researchers plan to investigate about 10,000 square meters (over 100,000 square feet) more of the area’s desert terrain in an effort to uncover additional tombs, Wegner said. Taylor Nicioli, CNN Money, 5 Apr. 2025 In some of the first versions of the game, at a certain distance from a player’s original spawn point, the file size would get so big that the game would start to glitch and the terrain generation would fail, creating huge, straight cliffs. Issy Van Der Velde, Rolling Stone, 5 Apr. 2025 In severe weather conditions, forcing or lift mechanisms, such as a cold front, dry line, or terrain, are needed to trigger rising air and initiate thunderstorm development. Alana Wise, NPR, 5 Apr. 2025 Their fight takes them across all kinds of sweeping terrain, spanning from the ocean and skies to forests and mountains. Rebecca Rubin, Variety, 3 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for terrain

Word History

Etymology

French, land, ground, from Old French terrein, from Vulgar Latin *terranum, alteration of Latin terrenum, from neuter of terrenus of earth — more at terrene

First Known Use

1766, in the meaning defined at sense 1a(1)

Time Traveler
The first known use of terrain was in 1766

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Terrain.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/terrain. Accessed 9 Apr. 2025.

Kids Definition

terrain

noun
ter·​rain tə-ˈrān How to pronounce terrain (audio)
 also  te-
: the surface features of an area of land
rough terrain

More from Merriam-Webster on terrain

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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